Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-12-10
CHAPTER xxIL-JoB HAS A r~REsEsrIMENr

'Q.y /. |. |. i 4. !. !. /. !. !. ! ! !. !. I. !. !. !. !. j. !. !. ]. ! !: !. i. I. |. |. !: 1. !. !. i ]. |. !. !. !.
NNM m WV following morning when
xWI " job, who still looked
WI VI scared and frightened,
M MA came in 10 call me, and at
VIVA Wk, the same time breathe his
IVH mVN gratitude at finding us
VIW " alive in our beds, which
! bUWk itappeared was more than
JpJ q NJ he had expected. When
" " odd him OF the awful
end Of poor Cstane he was
even more grateful at our survival, and
much shocked, though Ustane had been
no ~fayorite Of his-or he Of hers, for the
matter OF that She called him pig" in
bastard Arabic, and he called her "hussy''
in good English, but these amenities were
forgotten in the face OF the catastrophe
that had overwhelmed her at the hands OF
her queen.
Il don't want to say anything that
niayn't be agreeable, sir" said job, when
he had finished eXclaiming at my tale,
but it's my opinion that that there she is
the old gentleman himself. or perhaps his
wife, if he has got one, which ! suppose he
has, for he couldn't be SO wicked all by
himself. The Witch OF Endor was a fool
to her, sir; bless you she would make no
more Of raising every gentleman in the
Bible ont of these here beastly tombs than
| should Of growing cress on an old fan
mel. It's n country of devils, this is, sir,
and she's thc master one Of the lot: and If
ever we get out Of it, 1t will be more than
! expect to do. don't see no way out OF
it. That witch isn't likely TO let a fine
young man like Mr.. Leo 60"
Come" | said; lat any rate, she saved
his lie"
Yes, and she'll take his sonl TO pay for
il. She'l make him = witch. like herself.
| say it's wicked to have anything to do
with tho." sort OF people. Last night. sir,
| laid awake and read in nay little Bible,
that my poor old mother gave me, about
what is going 10 happen 10 sorceresses and
them sort till my hair stood on end. Lord,
how the old lady would stare if she saw
where her job had got tor
Yes, it's Il queer country, and n queer
people, TOO. job" | answered, with n sigh.
for though I am not superstitious like job,
! admit 10 n natural shrinking (Which will
not bear investigation from the things
that are above nature.
"Gou are right, sir" be answered, "and
if yOu won't think me very foolish, |
should like to say something to you, now
| that Mr.. Leo il out Of the way U.eo had
| got up early and gone for n strolD, and
that is that ] know it is the last country
as ever ! shall see in this world. | had u
dream last night, and | dreamed that |
saw my old father, with a kind OF night
shirt on him, something like these folks
wear when they want to be in particular
fun dress, and a bit OF that feathery grass
in his hand, which he may havc gathered
on the way, for | saw lots of it yesterday
about three hundred yards from the mouth
OF this beastly cave.
Job, he said to me, solemn like, and
yet with "a kind Of satisfaction shining
through him, more like n Methody parson
when he has sold q neighbor Il marked
horse for a sound one and cleared twenty
pounds by the job than anything | can
think on-'Job. times mp. job; but Ineyer
did expect to have to come and aunt you
out in this ere place, job. Such ado as |
have had TO nose you up; il wasn't friendly
to give your poor old father such a run, let
alone that n wonderful lot OF bad charac-
ters hal! from this place, Kor.'"
Regular cautions | suggested.
YES, sir-~of course, sir, that's Just what
he said they w~as-'cautions, downright
scOrchcrs, sir, and I'm sure | don't doubt
il, seeing what ! know of them and their
hot pOttiug ways went or job, sadly,
"AnyWay. he was sure that time was up,
and went away saying that we should see
more than we cared for Of each other soon,
and ] suppose he was abiding to the fact
that father and | never could hit ii Oft to-
gether for longer than three days, and |
dare say that things will be similar when
we meet again"
surely" ! said, you dom think that
you are going to die because you dreamed
You say your old fathery If one dies be-
cause one dreams of ones father, what
happens 10 n man who dreams Of his moth
er-in-law?'
"Ah, sir. you are laughing at me- said
Job; but, you sec, y0u didn't know my
old father. If 1t had been anybody else
my aunt Mary, for instance, who never
made much of IL job should not have
thought so much of it; but my father was
that idle. which he shouldn't have been
with seventeen children, hat he would
never have put himself out to come here
just to see the place. No, Sir: ] know hat
he meant business. Well, sir, ] can't help
it; ! suppose every man must go some time
or other, though il is a hard thing to die
in a place like this, where Christian burial
isn't 10 be had for its weight in gold. I've
tried to be n good man. sir, and do my duty
honest, anl if it wasn't forthe supercilious
kind Of way III which father carried or.
last night-a sort Of smiling at me. rs il
were, as though he had no opinion OF my
references and testimonials should feel
easy enough in my mind. Anyway, sir,
I've been Il good servant 10 you and Mr..
Leo, bless him! Why, it seems but the
other day that | used to lead him about
the streets with a penny whip; and il ever
you get ont OF this place-which, as father
didn't allude 10 you, perhaps you may
hope you will think kindly of my whitened
bones, and never have anything more t.
do with Greek writing on fiowerpo pots, sir,
If | may make SO bold as to say So"
Come, come, job" / said, seriously
this is all nonsense, you know. You
mustn't be silly enough 10 90 getting such
ideas in your head. We've lived through
some queer things, and / hope that we may
go on doing TO-"
"No, sir" answered job, in a tone OF
conviction that Jared Oh me unplcasantly
lit isn't nonsense. I'm a doomed man.
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